Home Again

It's been five weeks since my last blog post and it's good to be back.

 

Morning Sky on our last day at the Canal Cottage

 One busy week  to close up the Canal Cottage and prep for our cross-country trip.

The  Mississippi looking not so mighty from our RV Parked on the River

Two weeks of travel with the tiny trailer   -- 3500 miles (a night or two in ten different states). 

 

Oregon summer flowers 

And now it's almost two weeks since we arrived  here in Eugene.   It's just beginning to feel like we're home!  Seems like it takes a little longer to get "Oregon-ized" than it used to.  I might be getting older.  

 

The "street" in an RV Park where we stayed somewhere in Missouri or Kansas.     No storms while we were there thankfully.

What with the price of gasoline these days, we could have flown home  for less money, but we already had the tiny trailer  in Florida.   And of course there are problems with air travel these days too.  So it was the best choice this time.   

Rawlins Wyoming -- a rainy day

I didn't take  many more pictures on this trip than I would have if we had flown.  We did only incidental sight-seeing as we drove or in the RV Parks where we stayed... no  touristy stuff this time.  We wanted to be home by the first week in July.  

Glenn's Ferry Idaho

Fortunately we like road trips -- it's fun to think about what's different and what's the same in the different places we pass through. 

Terrible "through the window" shot,  but I always like to document the first mountains we see as we travel west from the flatlands.  

We always get away later than we plan to, so the first night we stayed in Ocala Florida.  Then somewhere in Georgia (lost the name of the town); Montgomery Alabama; West Memphis Arkansas; Cuba Missouri (in the Meremac Valley); Marshall Missouri; Salina Kansas; Oberlin  Kansas; Kimball Nebraska; Cheyenne Wyoming; Rawlins Wyoming; Brigham City Utah; Burns Oregon; and Blue River Oregon. 

 

The McKenzie River -- just a couple of hours from home

 

For people who drive more than five or six hours a day, both the last two places are within a day's drive of home.  But we have always preferred to take our time.   The last day of the trip we stayed in Blue River, less than two hours from home.   Both because we enjoy being on the beautiful River in this sweet little park AND because we don't like getting home when we're tired from traveling all day. 

 

It's good to be home again.   

 

 

Linking to the following sharing opportunities.  Thank you to the hosts:

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS; THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  and SATURDAY CRITTERS    

 

 

Comments

[Michelle nature notes]

Safe and sound…perfect

[riitta k]

Welcome back home Sallie! So you live in Eugene where the World Championships in athletics are going on? Due to the time difference, I watch a bit every evening. Finland has practically no athletic stars at the moment, but I love to watch speedy short runs. Pretty photos all of them.

[Rain Frances]

Sallie, I'm envious of your travels! The sky photos are simply beautiful! There's no place like home! ☺☺☺

[Ken Schneider]

While you were there I moved away from Florida to Connecticut. You had some very interesting sights and great shots. I like driving but, like you, hate driving all day.

[Eileen]

Hello Sallie
I am glad you arrived safely to your home in Oregon. Beautiful captures of the sky, the rainbow is lovely. Beautiful flowers, birds and a sweet deer. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.

[Breathtaking]

Hello Sallie,:=) Welcome back! You took some beautiful nature photos on your journey back home. Arriving back, and taking it slowly is a good idea, before settling in again. Enjoy your weekend,
All the best.

[Anu]

Beautiful photos.

[Kericho120]

Beautiful travel photos. After years of never being able to leave comments on your blog I finally linked to Twitter.

[Jm, Illinois, U.S.A.]

There isn't any place nice as "home sweet home." Lovely photos of flowers.

[Photo Cache]

Welcome back. How fun is a cross-country road trip? I want to do something like that too, and randomly stop at interesting spots along the way.

[Bob Bushell]

Its nice to have you back. And, beautiful photos you shown us.

[Sondra]

Glad you are safe n sound at home hope you have a great summer!

[Cloudia]

Wow! Feels like I was there. Thank you so much!

[Carol]

I'm glad you had a good leisurely trip to Oregon. Enjoy the north and we'll wait to see you next winter here in Florida. In the summer note all the plants that are not grown as well here - roses can be grown with lots and lots of work and plant food. Lots of the lilies (most die when I plant them here). Enjoy the weather - hopefully it's cooler than here this summer.

[Peter B.]

Welcome back!! Wow, that's a lot of miles and states you traveled through. Road trips are fun, but there's no place like home!

[Lydia C. Lee]

The sky photos are lovely - even the pending storm....#Skywatch

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Great skies.

[Alan]

Welcome back, I can see why you didn't take too many photos on your back, you stayed in some really garden spots (being sarcastic). Nice to hear seriously that you didn't bust a gut going back. Too much fatigue.

[Dixie]

Hi Sallie,
Welcome back! Lovely photos.
Love the morning sky at Canal Cottage.
Sounds like a wonderful, leisurely road trip
through some great places.
Enjoy the week...

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Oh the love deer photo even through the window and great nature shots and glad you are home in Oregon ~ enjoy ~ Xo

Thank you so much for your caring comments about my loss of Angel, my Yorkie ~ Xo

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your day,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

[My Corner of the World]

We are so alike--I love seeing everything there is to see whether for the first time or fiftieth time! It's so enjoyable to see you photos.

Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!

[mae]

Great to hear from you on my blog — I am not sure which book you mean when you say “The FIfities” — would love to know!

And great to hear that you made it cross country once again. What a lot of places you stopped! Deciding between driving and flying is definitely more challenging now than it ever has been. If you fly, you have to rent a car which is also costly and somewhat uncertain. And you cn’t be isolated from the others on a plane. Tricky! Our next trip (if something doesn’t destroy our plans) is to a place that can’t be reached other than by plane, so no decisions needed.

best… mae

[David Gascoigne]

I think you made a really wise decision to drive rather than fly, Sallie. Air travel seems beset by chaos these day. Welcome home - although you spend so much time in Florida it must be hard to decide where home is!

[tomthebackroadstraveller]

...I won't be flying any time soon! Thanks for stopping by.

[Pat]

Glad to see you arrived back in Oregon safely, Sallie, and saw some pretty views along your drive west! You've been missed! Enjoy your time out there.
We were happy to see twins fawns being born at the end of spring in our backyard and now watching them grow when they visit us now and then. Summer had been hot again, and dry but my little veggie garden growing in pots is doing well and I'm loving seeing flower blooming again.

[Veronica Lee]

Nice to have you back again safe and sound, Sallie!

Your road trip sounds amazing!

Happy Wednesday!

[Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie]

Good to hear you are back and had a nice, unhurried trip. You really got to see quite a few places on the way. Nice photos! Hope this is the start of a wonderful summer. x K

[Dee]

Oh wow! that's quite a road trip.
Happy getting Oregonized. :)

[Beatrice]

Glad to read that you made it back to Oregon safely, and taking your time is the best way. We rarely drive more than 6 hrs a day when traveling by car, sometimes a bit longer if we are delayed in traffic, etc. Enjoyed seeing some of the sights you saw along the way.
As well.

[Sharon Wagner]

Somebody said there's no place like home. But I wouldn't trust anybody with a concussion!

[Linda P]

I can imagine that drive across the different States to get back to Oregon from seeing the photos and reading of your experience. For various reasons travelling is not so easy these days, but I guess you're familiar with the route and the incentive to get to your destination spurs you on. Glad you're settling back in. Enjoy your days spent in Oregon.

[Linda W]

I like taking my time too. And now that I’m older, driving more than 5 hours leaves me exhausted.

[Sharon]

Welcome back to Oregon..Missed your posts.

Sharon

[Su-sieee! Mac]

That was amazing weather you caught in Rawlins, Sallie, wowza! I would love to do another cross country trip one day before the Husband and I get too sedentary in our ways.

[Gaelyn]

That's a lot of miles. I'm with you, not driving too far in a day, even when I want to be home. Welcome to your Oregon home. Looks like you saw some pretties on the way.

[Amy Franks]

Gosh you have visited lots of places. We are in the middle of Winter here and the South Island seems to have way more storms than the North. Bet you're happy to be home though.

[ellen b.]

Welcome home! Some of your stops sound real familiar. Glad you made it safe and sound!

[Lorrie Orr]

Driving across the country gives a perspective of the vastness of the continent. It would take awhile to rest up after so many days of driving. Beautiful sights along the way.

[JBig - Kentucky]

You certainly covered some miles in your tiny trailer. It's always tough to get organized again after a trip. Lots of nice pics, love the rainbow coming out of the clouds.

[Soma @ InkTorrents.com]

That is quite a road trip! Must have been amazing to drive though those states. Lovely photos! My favourite one is of the rainy day in Rawlings. Amazingly beautiful. Welcome back!

-Soma

[Lavender Dreams]

I'm so happy to hear from you and learn more about your big trip. It's definitely been a hotter than usual summer here in FL so I know you are happy to be there. Love seeing the mountains...WOW! And we don't try to drive as much each day as we used to either. We enjoy our trips more if we take our time. Happy summer my friend! I'll let you know when it's safe to come back...when it gets cooler! heehee! Hugs!

[Linda]

I bet you are glad to be home. Road trips certainly have to be thought out now with the price of gas. I'm visiting from Mosaic Monday.

[Fun60]

Good to hear from you again.Beautiful flowers and of course the first sighting of the mountai s must be exciting.

[Mitzi]

Day trips are my go to for getting out of my head. We have 3 large dogs...so day trips are about all we can do. Looks like your trip was an amazing one.

[Jenn Jilks]

Good to read about your successful travels!

We like day trips, although we haven't done many lately.

[Eileen]

Hello,
Your road trip home sounds wonderful to me. I have not done a cross country road trip and I would love too. The gas prices are crazy, ours is going down a little. Love the photos, the deer, geese, the river view and the mountain views are all beautiful. Take care, enjoy your day and have a happy new week!

[Shiju Sugunan]

Welcome back! Nice incidental pics. The rainbow in the storm is my favorite!

[Angie]

Sallie - welcome back to Mosaic Monday! We've missed you! You are right about air travel - not very reliable at the moment. We need to plan some travel for November, and we are wondering if we should travel a day earlier than necessary "just in case". How crazy is that! Last year, I bought my husband a book with many road trips in the US. When we are no longer capable of long hikes in the mountains, I look forward to this classic method of seeing our country!

[Diane Bohlen]

You are amazing driving so far. It is a good idea to drive for short periods each day. We started doing that when we retired and did long road trips. We can't be bothered doing them any more.

[William Kendall]

Beautiful photographs.

[Heidrun]

Wonderful to find you back again... with fantastisc captures and some for reading. I enjoyed your Post. Yes, I agree, each place are different and interesting to see.

Happy MosaicMonday